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Friday, January 29, 2010

I was hoping something funny would happen while I was filming the cat hiding under his favorite blanket, but he decided to just stay there and attempt to sleep while my daughter poked him and laughed. Not a very exciting video, but has a very CUTE view of the cat's face toward the end, made it worth sharing!!

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Preparing for Imbolc, the Pagan celebration of the first signs of spring, I've been thinking about the astrological sign of Aquarius, hoping to get more insights into this season of change and renewal. In tarot, I often find that the tarot cards that correspond with the astrological signs around certain holidays usually holds some significance - as in, there are no coincidences. (Samhain/Halloween and the Death card, New Year's Day and The Devil card, etc.) So, looking into Tarot, Astrology, and Mythology, I'm hoping to let my brain pick apart this lesser sabbat of Imbolc.

In the Wheel of The Year, Imbolc falls on February 2nd, a time when winter is still upon us but the signs of an approaching spring are becoming more apparent. Rains come, the nights are growing shorter and the hours of sunlight growing longer. At Yule, the Goddess gave birth to the Baby Sun King, and he is gaining his strength. Many legends hold that during this time of year, the Goddess, in her Maiden form, is sleeping. Once she awakens, she will join with the God and together they will bring Fertility and growth back to the land (Beltane / May Day). It is the Goddess in her young and pure Maiden form that I find represented in the Tarot card, The Star.

In this version of the card, from The Celestial Tarot by Kay Steventon and Brian Clark, she is represented as Hebe, the Greek Goddess of Youth. Here is an excerpt from the booklet that comes with this beautifully illustrated deck;" To the ancients, Aquarius was the power of the flowing, often flooding, water. The Star represents both strands of Aquarius; it heralds the revolutionary new way of being after a period of turmoil or suppression and is also representative of a wellspring of hope and renewal. Aquarius' innovative and creative new vision pours forth like manna from heaven, a welcome downpour after the disruption and chaos of The Tower (card 16). In the Celestial Tarot, Hebe pours forth the invigorating waters recycled from the abundant springs of life over mankind. She symbolizes renewal, hope, bright prospects, inspiration, and spiritual guidance. The Star is the light of the higher self and it is Hebe the heroic anima who illuminates inner darkness and heralds the dawn of a hope filled future."

I decided to look more into this youthful Goddess, Hebe. Who was she? Hebe was the daughter of the Zeus and Hera ( The Goddess of Marriage, sister of Demeter and Hestia). Hebe was the cup bearer to the Olympians, serving them their nectar and ambrosia until she became the wife of Heracles (Hercules). She was the patron Goddess of young brides and maidens, and attendant to the Goddess Aphrodite (the Goddess of Love). It is no wonder that she is depicted in this card, The Star, as most Greek paintings and sculptures of her depict her carrying or pouring liquid from a vase or pitcher.

Hebe is known as The Goddess of Youth, or sometimes The Goddess of Spring. She was prayed to by warriors who needed the vitality of youth before going into battle. One example of this is found in the story of Iolaus, who was the former charioteer of Heracles. In his old age, he prayed to Hebe before a fight with Eurystheus, asking to be young again for just one day - a wish that Hebe granted.

The concept of Youth is central to the Astrological sign of Aquarius. The Fixed Air sign, it is related to stability and stamina. The Waterbearer is commonly known for being a humanitarian; ruling over the 11th House, the House of Friendship and Hopes & Wishes. It is easy to see how Hebe fits into this category of giving, as she happily took her place attending to the Olympian gods, refilling their cups with her nectar of vitality and youth. The Concept of youth not only refers to strength and stamina though, and being young or youthful also has other traits that are commonly associated with Aquarius. These are some common traits attributed to the Fixed Water sign of the Zodiac and you can see how everyone, in their youth, as exhibited these traits; Humanitarian, Emotionally Cool, Innovative, Rebellious, Independent, Disruptive, Friendly, Uninvolved, Visionary, Impractical, Tolerant, Perverse, Unusual, Individualistic.

As the Earth slowly awakens from it's winter slumber, it enters a period of almost juvenile youth. These late winter storms can be strong, and even harsh, as if the water and wind don't know their own strength. Yet it is through the gift of these waters that the land is reborn. The trials we face as a young adult or teen are often the ones that shape us into the adults we become. I think we can all stand to take time to look back at our youth and the lessons we learned from this period of vitality. Also, we can look at our lives now, in what ways are we still growing, still "young"? In what ways might we benefit from having the youthful attitudes of rebellion, independence, innovation, or creativity? In ancient times (and still today, it was the young men - the youthful, who were sent into battle and trusted to win the day. Perhaps this lesson can be taken to heart in another way. Yes, as we grow older we grow wiser, but sometimes in life it may be necessary to take a youthful stance, to trust that youthful part of ourselves to make the right choices and win the battle we face. Consider this; "Aquarius takes as it's purpose the experimentation with all established structures. It freely crosses all man-made boundaries in order to experience the new and unusual. It is related to reform within the structure of a group, bringing innovative ideas." ~ M.J. Abadie, from "The Everything Tarot Book.

Maybe it's time to ask Hebe to give us some of that Youth-like exuberance and innovation. The Earth is in a state of renewal and rebirth, and as her inhabitants, so are we.

Here's another quote to consider; "I am no worshipper of Hygia, who was the daughter of that old herb-doctor Asclepius … but rather of Hebe … who had the power of restoring gods and men to the vigour of youth. She was probably the only thoroughly sound-conditioned, healthy, and robust young lady that ever walked the globe, and whenever she came it was spring." (Henry David Thoreau 1817-1862, Walden).

(note.... sorry for the Double Post for those of you who are subscribed to both of my blogs... I meant to post this here but posted it at my other blog (link above) by mistake, so then, rather than deleting it I just decided to put a copy of it here)

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Over at Wicca Moms, they do what is called "Turn-around Tuesdays", a blog meme in which you take a moment to write about another blog post that you have read and enjoyed. This week I'm gonna "Turn it around" to Pagan Dad for this post - Children's Story For Imbolc

I love the Children's stories posted for each Sabbat at Pagan Dad. These stories include the history and myth of each Sabbat through the Wheel of The Year, in a way that is easy for a child to follow. In this story, The baby sun King has been Reborn, but the Goddess, in her Maiden form, is leeping and cannot be woken. The young Sun King must journey to see the Oracle and find out how to wake the sleeping Maiden... thus reflecting why, even though the days are longer and the nights are growing shorter, the sun is still distant and not quite warming the earth yet.

So, check out the blog at Pagan Dad, and make sure you also stop by "Turn Around Tuesdays" at Wiccan Moms, see what others are king about, and may make your own "Turn Around" post!

Monday, January 25, 2010

I decided to start the week off by drawing an Oracle Card for some positive advice to carry with me thru the week, and to share with others. Today I used the Angel Therapy Oracle deck by Doreen Virtue.

"Cancel, Clear, Delete"

The picture on this card shows a strong male angel, holding a sword and looking toward the heavens. He is wearing armor, and he is muscular and strong, but you get the feeling that he is getting his true strength from a Higher Power. The wind is blowing back his long hair and white wings, and it looks like it must be a very cooling and refreshing breeze. The bottom of the card says, "Use only positive words and thoughts as they're rapidly manifesting into form. Ask the angels to cancel the effects of past negative thinking."

We have all heard about and even experienced the power of positive thought. Some call it the Law of Attraction, some call it Faith; but no matter what you call it or what you believe - we all know that having positive thoughts and feelings creates positive results. At the same time, we know that negative thinking does not usually create any good results and actually seems to manifest more negativity into our lives. We have all known a "negative ninny" who is constantly complaining about their life, their health, their job, their money, etc. and it's no wonder that things don't seem to get better for them. Maybe there have even been times in our lives when we have embraced the negative pattern for awhile - I know I'm guilty of it too. Negative thinking can quickly become a habit and a pattern, and this is why simply being aware of your thoughts is the first step to turning it around. When you catch yourself thinking negatively, stop and ask God/dess, Angels or your Spirit Guides to "Cancel, Clear, and Delete" the effects of that negative thought. Then try to think of a positive thought to replace it with. It may be hard a first, but you'll get better at it. Here's an example;

You find yourself thinking, "I don't feel good, I am so tired."Stop. Take a deep breath. "Cancel, Clear, Delete. Angels, please remove the negative effects of my thoughts. Cancel, Clear, Delete."Now you think of a new way of thinking. "I nurture and take care of my body. I am full of life and vitality!" Now, instead of focusing on being tired or not feeling well, your mind is thinking of ways to change it. You are suddenly inspired to drink water, take vitamins, and maybe take a walk as you repeat to yourself, "I nurture and take care of my body. I am full of life and vitality!"

Now here's what Doreen Virtue says about this card in the Guidebook;"The angels are asking you to be more aware of what you say, think, and write about yourself. Your past choice of words has blocked you, but fortunately, that barrier is removed the moment you choose positive words. Perhaps nicotine, caffeine, sugar, or other stimulants have caused your mind to race with worry. The angels can help you reduce or eliminate cravings for stimulants. They will calm and clear your mind so you can deliberately choose words that describe your desires instead of old fears.Action Steps "If you catch yourself saying something negative (even in jest), stop and sweep your hand at your wrist in order to push the energy of your words away from you. Then say "Cancel, Clear, Delete!" to undo the effects of negative affirmations. This is similar to rebooting your computer by simultaneously pushing the control, alt, and delete keys. By saying "Cancel, clear, delete!", you let the universe know of your positive and clear outlook for yourself. You ensure that any previous negative affirmations won't manifest into form; instead they'll be replaced by our new, radiant intentions."

Saturday, January 23, 2010

This is your inner self. Don't be alarmed, I know we don't usually communicate this directly. I just had couple of things to mention. You know how you always feel more alive when you have a million things to do? Yeah, it's stressful, but you get so many ideas and just want to take them all on at one. Get Organized. Be a better mom. Be a better housewife. Get healthy. Start a website. Start a blog. Start another blog. Become an avid social-networker. Oh, and don't forget to cook dinner, give the kids their baths, and still find time to brush your teeth or take shower. You have a bunch of projects going, get overwhelmed and unbalanced because you're somewhat of a perfectionist, and hard on yourself because you can't do it all...Then, realizing that nothing you are doing is meeting your high expectations - you're not helping enough people, creating enough art, you feel like you have run out of creative and expressive or unique things to say, and suddenly everything is spiraling out of control.and then you shut down, let it all go, try to find your balance again...

but when you find your balance again, your motivation comes back full swing, and you find yourself taking on a whole bunch of new projects again

and you think, when I am I gonna learn to not take on too much?

But what you have to realize, dear Capricorn, is that it's not necessarily "taking on too much" that constantly brings you down.

It's you perfectionism. It's your fear of failure. Climbing up that steep slope is hard work, tedious work. Taking one step at a time, it's hard to tell if you are any closer to the summit... and without seeing any results, how do you know if you're headed in the right direction? So you take a leap, a couple big jumps. Yes, now things are moving faster, and you can see some results. The payoff is exhilarating. So you do it again, get confident, take on another goal or project, take another leap and bound. You go on like this for awhile,picking up pace, seeing results and taking on more and more as you go.

The mental and physical strain may start to kick in now, but what really gets you is your perfectionism. Because sooner or later, you realize that somewhere long the way, you missed something. You made a mistake, skipped a step, got sloppy. You could keep going. Heck, at this point, most people would. But No, you're a Capricorn - and Quality is more important than Quantity in your mind and heart. So it begins, you slow down, but you start to question your abilities, your status, your motives. You turn and look back, wondering if you should just start over again, or if you should go back and take a different path this time. Now you're not only overwhelmed, but you're confused. This is when the spiral happens. You doubt yourself, you fear the mistakes, you become unsure of whether or not you even really want this goal you have been working so hard for. Without this sense of direction and drive, you find yourself wallowing again. Directionless and exhausted, it's easier to just tread water for a little while.

As before, you find your footing again. Eventually you stand up again,and find a sense of direction again. This time,take it slow.. surely you have leaned by now that you'll be happier this way. Patience with yourself will be a great thing to learn. And even if you do get ahead of yourself or take on too much... remember that your perfectionism is just the voice of your fear and doubt. You don't have to let it all go, you don't have to slip back down the mountain. Set up camp right there on the slope, prioritize and re-evaluate, and then pick up where you left off again. You can do it, I know you can.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Well, here I am. We moved into the house last week, and I have been working on unpacking, organizing, and cleaning. In the next blog I will post more about the situation with the house, but it comes down to this; the sale isn't final yet and we don't know how long we will stay here. Hopefully forever. It FEELS like home....

Anyways, I haven't done a Weekly Housewife's Report in awhile, and I am sitting here thinking about my week. It has gone by so quickly, and I am exhausted. I can feel myself fighting off a cold, I have upped the vitamins and water intake to try and prevent a stress related illness from bringing me down. But what I really need is sleep. Once I review the week, put it all into perspective, maybe I can find a sense of accomplishment to take to bed with me. Maybe tonite I can sleep rather than laying awake with a brain spinning with worries and "to do's".

Sunday. Get up earlier than I am used to (6:30) so that I can be ready for work and leave the house by 7:20. It now takes 25 or 30 minutes to drive to work, rather than 8 minutes. Work is uneventful, and not very satisfying. After wrk, drive to the old apartment. Mom & Dad are there waiting for me. We spend 2 hours packing the remaining furniture into the van and dad's truck. another 30 minutes to tie the box spring of my bed onto the top of my van, and then drive slowly and carefully back to the house. Dinner with family and parents. Parents camp out on the livingroom floor (UHG!)

Monday. Get up around 7. Make coffee, breakfast for the kids and parents. Husband is already gone, he leaves for work at 4 am. Mom and Dad have stayed so I can use the car to drive the girls to school for their 1st day at the new school. But first I have to find out what school they go to. The district has been closed over Christmas Break. 8:00 - call the district, get the number for the new school. 8:30 - drive to the school with the girls, paperwork in hand, only to find ot that they won't be able to attend for their 1st day until Tuesday, after I have filled out more paperwork. Also discover that the school requires uniforms, which I will have to buy. Back home, filling out paperwork until 11. Lunch. Cleaning house (you would not believe the dust and grime in here, for crying out loud they just moved out 2 weeks ago but this place is coated with years of dust!) Shopping for clothes, thanks to my mom. Parents leave, Husband comes home. Drive around trying to pick up a MoneyGram from a friend, later to find out it was never sent. Borrow money from a different friend instead. I hate this.

Tuesday. The friend who loaned me money also loaned me her car, so I could again attempt to take the girls to their first day at their new school. Class starts at 8, meet the teachers etc. Take little X home. Grocery shopping. More Cleaning. Thankfully, the girls get off the bus after school smiling and saying the LOVE their new school. This is the highlight of my week.

Wednesday. We now wake up at 6:00 am every day, so that the girls can be at the Bus Stop by 7:15. None of us are used to getting up this early yet. At the apartment, school started at 9, and the girls would walk to school around 8:30. 8:45. Getting up before 7:30 wasn't necessary. Now here we are, walking to the end of the street at 7:10 am. It's not that bad, really, I'm just complaining because I'm so tired. Another day of cleaning, unpacking a few things, puttng things in proper places. Homework with the girls after they get home. Dinner, baths, bed. *sigh*

Thursday. 6:00, up. 7:10, out the door. 8:30, cleaning house. Feeling worn down, not doing much. 12:00, take a nap. Blah. Walk to the bus stop to pick up the girls, walk back home, homework, cleaning, dinner. I was waiting for a friend to come over, so I showered and put on make up. I was looking forward to seeing this close friend from high school who I hadn't seen in 11 years. He didn't come. To bed, dissapointed.

Friday. 6:45. Oh crap, the alarm on my phone didn't go off. wake the kids, hurry up and eat and get dressed, make it to the bus stop just in time. Home again. Cleaning. Unpacking, organizing. Cleaning. Homework with the girls. Husband gets home, and I drive to find the laundromat. An hour and a half doing laundry at a South Side of Phoenix laundromat... feeling like a Gringa... I need to brush up on my Spanish. it's 8:20 now. I am so tired. I wish I could sleep in tomorrow, but I have to go to work in the morning. Then back to the apartment one last time to finish cleaning, grab whatever might have been left behind, turn in the keys.

On the bright side, the kitchen is looking great. This week Via FlyLady, the Zone of the Week was the kitchen. So I focused on unpacking and cleaning that. It seemed like a perfect place to start, the other stuff can wait but he kitchen, well that's central to the home. I detail dusted the cabinets and drawers, mopped and re-mopped the kitchen tile, found places for the dishes, spices, food, etc. I love this kitchen - it's so roomy with lots of storage space and cooking space. Here it is, spic and span!

And, despite the fact that it's not yet put away, I feel satisfied that even without a washer or dryer, 4 loads of laundry are cleaned.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Using Numerology and Tarot Cards, we each have certain cards that show us the lessons we will encounter in each year of our life. Numerologically speaking, the Tarot Card of 2010 is The Empress... let's all welcome the new year and strive to be more Nurturing, Creative, and Caring in 2010!! (and maybe a little more sensual and feminine too!) HAPPY NEW YEAR!!There is also a Personal Year Card, found using your date of birth and the current year....To determine your card for this year, use numerology to equate, like this;

add together the current year, your day of birth and your month of birth like this;

2010 (current year)

__12 (day of birth)

+ 01 (month of birth)

_____

2023

then reduce; 2 + 0 + 2 + 3 = 7

My Current Year Card is 7, The Chariot

As you study your card, ask yourself, what am I currently learning from this card? How can I apply the lessons of this card to my daily life? What aspects of this card do I want to have more of in my life? What aspects do I want to remove from my life? The possibilities of self-discovery are endless, study what the card means to you and embrace it!!

If your number is above 22, then reduce it again (23 = 2+3=5) If you got the number 22, then this corresponds to card number 0, The Fool. If you got a number between 10 and 22, then you have two lesson cards for the year. (Example... 16, The Tower, reduced... 1+6=7, The Chariot)

It may be helpful to create a graph of your year cards from birth up to age 60 to see what kinds of patterns exist in your year cards.

Here is a list of the Major Arcana cards and their numbers;

0 The Fool

1 The Magician

2 The High Priestess

3 The Empress

4 The Emperor

5 The Hierophant

6 The Lovers

7 The Chariot

8 Strength

9 The Hermit

10 The Wheel of Fortune

11 Justice

12 The Hanged Man

13 Death

14 Temperance

15 The Devil

16 The Tower

17 The Star

18 The Moon

19 The Sun

20 Judgment

21 The World

(22, The Fool)

note; If you haven't yet had your birthday, then you are still experiencing your card for 2009, as your personal yearly cycle begins on your birthday. (Example, if your birthday is September 1, your current year cycle is Sept. 1, 2009 thru Sept. 1, 2010) So, if you haven't had your birthday yet, calculate as above but use 2009 instead of 2010.------------------------------------------------------------------------Some More Thoughts on your Year Card

I have been amazed with the presence of my year card in my life. I spent about a whole month studying my year card, learning all I could about it. (There is SO much to be found in just one card, especially a Major Arcana card!) I journaled about it. I searched meanings online. I had conversations with it. I compared it to other cards that I drew or studied. I even wrote a poem about it. Most of this is on my blog on my MySpace page, but I will probably transfer some of that information here.

I just wanted to share with you some of the ideas I had.

First of all, journal with your year card. Write the figure in the card a letter, or write a conversation you would have with the figures in the card. Even write about the parts of the card you don't understand... the parts that you feel can't possibly relate to your current life. Just putting these thoughts and feelings on paper or the computer can be extremely awakening.

Another idea.... any time you get a reading or do a reading for yourself, ask yourself how the cards in that reading would relate to your year card. Ask what the cards would teach each other or ask each other if they were in a room together. Ask your year card how it would interpret those cards. Whatever way you have of comparing cards that is comfortable to you will work.

Affirm. Write an affirmation related to your card's greatest strengths. This is your affirmation for the year. Repeat it to yourself every day, until it becomes second nature, and watch how that affirmation begins to manifest in your life.

Think about how your year card relates to the General Year Card for 2010 - the Empress. How do they support each other? What conflicts might arise? What can the two cards learn from each other (thus understanding what you might learn from these two cards.) As the year progresses, if you find yourself in a difficult situation, ask yourself how The Empress and your Personal Year Card might react in this situation.

Finally... figure out the year cards of your family. Your kids, your significant other, your closest friends. Examine how your card would relate to their cards. For example; how would your card act in a situation with your husband's year card? What can they teach each other? How can you apply this to how you react to your husband throughout this year? Or, with your children's year cards.... what can your year card teach you about your parenting abilities? How would your year card act if it was the Parent of your child's year card? What does your child's year card have to teach or show your Year card?? Journal some more. What you discover could amaze you, shock you, or just confirm and enlighten your current situation even more.

About Me

Welcome to my little corner of the blogosphere! Join me on my journey of life as a Mom (of 3 kids!), a wife, housekeeper, and a Tarot enthusiast!! This will be my ongoing journal of self-discovery as I write about my daily life, the ups and downs, my views and opinions, and my exploartion of myself and the world through the mystical symbolism of Tarot cards, astrology, spirituality, and humor!

Hestia's Shrine

Click HERE to visit my online shrine to the Goddess, Hestia. You can light a candle in honor of The Goddess, or light a candle as a prayer. (I will add your requests to my prayer list as well.) Blessed Be!